Changing the way we report

It’s a new year, and with it comes some changes to the way we will be covering news and events in the communities we serve.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working to equip our editorial news staff with new technology. We’re going mobile.

In the past, our reporters were sort of tethered to their desks when they were working on a story. We all had desk phones in the office, and the only way we could answer a call from someone trying to reach us was to be at our desk.

In addition, most of us had bulky desktop computers, which didn’t allow us to type stories while we were out in the field.

But over the past several years, the way we have delivered the news has changed a lot, what with the addition of our websites, our Facebook pages and our Twitter accounts.

And most importantly, we know that news doesn’t happen in the newsroom. It happens outside the walls of our office, out in the communities that we cover.

So we’ve decided that’s where our reporters should be as well. We’re replacing our desk phones with mobile phones and upgrading to laptops to allow us to post to our websites and social media while we are out in the field. You’ll see more immediate reporting of events and news, as well as new ways our stories will be presented.

And most importantly, you’ll see us out in the community more than ever. Watch our Facebook and Twitter accounts, as we’ll be posting occasionally when we are working somewhere outside of the office, so you can stop in and pay us a visit. Or contact us, and we can stop in and see you. When you see our reporters out working, feel free to talk with them and suggest a story, or just take a moment to get to know them. We want to hear from you.

It’s an exciting time for the news staff here at the Herald and the Independent. We’re looking forward to being able to bring you the news as fast as possible, and to get a chance to spend more time out and about in the communities we’re covering.

And the changes don’t stop there. We are also changing some things in our offices. It is all about us opening up. We want to become an even bigger part of our local communities, and we hope you enjoy our changes.

After all, we are the community newspapers. With that in mind, we want to be more connected, and welcome you into our worlds the same way you welcome us into yours every time you pick up one of our papers, visit one of our websites or stop into our office.

And don’t worry about the print product. We will continue to print the same great content that you’ve come to expect over the years. None of that is going away. In fact, by being out in the community more, you should see an even bigger benefit in our print product.

We hope everyone will like these changes, because we certainly are looking forward to a new way of covering our communities. We’re moving forward into the future, and we hope you will join us.